


Run, Boy, Run

by brionylarkin



Series: Drove (Them) Underground [2]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Five's many issues, Running Away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 10:56:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18051197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brionylarkin/pseuds/brionylarkin
Summary: Many children will try to run away at some point in their lives. Number Five attempted this--ironically enough--five times.ORFour times Five tried to run away + one time it stuck





	Run, Boy, Run

1

Five used to think that his first escape attempt was almost like foreshadowing, a glimpse at the misery his life would turn into. At the time, it had seemed fairly sensible--running away because Mom had refused him a puppy like the kids down the street had. In hindsight, a four year old wandering the streets of New York City was bound to be caught sooner or later. The only question was by whom. Luckily for Number Five’s continued well-being, it was the police who finally found him.

The puppies in the pet shop window were mutts, Five could just tell. It was in how their ears flopped, he decided. Mom had read him and Number Seven a book about dogs the other day and none of the purebreds had had floppy ears.

One of the puppies, a goofy-looking white thing with legs that seemed too big for its body, rolled onto its belly and yawned. Five giggled just as a heavy hand came down on his shoulder.

He shrieked and yanked himself away from whoever had decided to grab him. The man let him go, but didn’t move far. It was a police officer, with a neatly pressed uniform and a shiny baton hanging on his belt. Five itched to touch the fabric (he loved the feel of ironed clothing; Mom could never keep him out of the laundry room), but even at four, he knew how to restrain himself. He looked up at the policeman with wide eyes.

“Are you here to arrest me?” he asked. The policeman chuckled and suddenly, Five remembered all his father’s rants about how useless the police were.

“Of course not, kid,” the man answered. “My name’s Officer Peters. Are you the Hargreeves boy?” Number Five cautiously nodded and the man beamed at him. “Your father’s been worried sick about you! He’ll be so happy to see you, and I’m sure you’re ready to go home, as well.” He held out a hand for Five to take.

Five pouted. He’d been so close to getting a puppy. He wanted to go inside the shop! But… it had been hours since breakfast and his belly was growling. He took one last look at the puppies in the window as he was led away.

His father was not happy.

Reginald had been forced to pause in his important research to go retrieve his wayward experiment, all because the stupid robot had called the police in a panic. Her programming would have to be altered. He couldn’t have her calling the authorities every time there was a bit of trouble.

He grabbed Five’s tiny hand in a firm grip that proved how furious he was and began to drag the boy back towards the mansion. Five didn’t resist, only just realizing how tired he was.

The mansion was in an uproar when they arrived. Mom grabbed Five in a tight hug and didn’t let go for a good minute. She lifted him onto her hip and immediately began apologizing profusely for losing him.

Reginald hummed, staring at her in disappointment. “I expect better quality in my employees, Grace, much less my own creation.” Mom stopped talking and nodded, eyes fixed on the floor. “Well?” Reginald continued. “Get back to work!”

Five was not punished that day

2

The failure of his next escape attempt could be blamed on a traitor. Or traitor _s_. As in Numbers One and Three. To be fair, they hadn’t actually been included in the attempt.

The seven children were seven and a half, in which the half was very important. Only now were they truly beginning to understand what set them apart from other children, what set them apart from their own Number Seven, even. They were special.

Number One had taken this realization with a large helping of ego. He was constantly trying to boss the others around, his reasoning being that he was Number One, so he was in charge. Three was only too happy to go along with her best friend in making everyone else do her bidding, occasionally with the help of a Rumor or two.

She didn’t know how much she would come to regret this later in life.

Five had inflated his sense of self-importance, as well. He had been the first of his siblings to learn how to read, so was the first to be able to understand what comic books were. He saw them in the windows of convenience stores on the rare few occasions their father allowed their governess to take them out of the house. She had bought him one once, when she’d stopped in a store for something. He had devoured it on the walk home, lost in a world of crime fighting superheroes.

One of them masked men could teleport. Five wanted to scream, just like me! He showed the comic to Number Seven later that same night.

It was nearly ten when he jumped into Seven’s room with a blue flash. “Seven!” he whispered-yelled. She just screwed her eyes shut and rolled over in her sleep. Five clambered up on the bed and shook her shoulder.

Seven whined and opened her eyes. “Five?”

“Look what I found!” he whispered, holding up the comic book with wide eyes. It had a bright orange cover with several masked characters fighting another. The title was the _Amazing Adventures of Wrecker Russell!_

“What is it?” Seven sat up, pink sheets pooling around her. She grasped her fingers in the sheets in lieu of anything else to hold. Reginald had recently decided that stuffed toys were distractions and needed to go. Seven had lost the stuffed bear she’d had since before Reginald had adopted them and she still missed it.

“A comic book!” said Five. He flipped to several pages in, where a green-suited man was phasing through a portal. “He’s like me. See!” He shoved it closer to her face in an attempt to get her interested.

“That’s cool,” exclaimed Seven, more enthusiastic than usual. “Are you a superhero, too?” Five tilted his head in thought. Was he a superhero?

“Maybe,” he said. “One day.”

Seven mumbled something in return before rolling over and promptly falling off the bed. The loud thump echoed through the halls and Five peered over the side in surprise. Seven screwed up her face and he held his breath. Would she cry?

She would. Her tears were louder than the previous noise. But, what normally would’ve summoned their mother couldn’t--she was powered down at night. All that was left was…

Reginald can storming up the stairs. He had already been frustrated at the lackluster results of his latest experiment and a crying child at ten PM was his limit.

“Get back in bed!” he barked from the doorway, before coming to a stop upon seeing Five. “Number Five, what are you doing in Number Seven’s room?”

“I-I-”

“Well, boy? Spit it out!” Reginald said. He crossed his arms.

“I just wanted to show her my comic book,” Five mumbled, eyes filling with tears.

Reginald rolled his eyes. “Don’t you start blubbering, too. And give me that!” He snatched the comic book out of Five’s hands and immediately ripped it in half.

“No!” Five yelled. He grabbed for the pieces, but Reginald held it out of his reach.

“This nonsense is just a distraction from your training,” he said sharply. “If you want to read, there are plenty of school books in the library. Now go to bed.” He turned and marched away, taking the ruined comic with him.

Five sniffled and scrubbed at his eyes. Seven reached out to hug him, lip still wobbling, but he pushed her back.

“It’s all your fault!” he shouted. Storming back to his room, he remembered what the hero in the comic book had done when his family mistreated him. He had run away! Five should do that!

He had no idea what someone should bring when running away from home, so he waited until he heard the door to his father’s office shut before tip-toeing down to the kitchen. Once there, he was surprised to hear whispering from the living room.

Five padded down the hall to peek his head around the door. Unluckily enough, he was spotted.

“Number Five?” said Number Three in surprise. “What do you want?”

Five stood up straight. “I’m running away,” he declared proudly.

“You can’t do that!” cried Number One. He and Three were parked on the couch, a bowl of popcorn on their laps, obviously in the midst of a midnight snack.

“Is it because Dad yelled at you?” asked Three. “We heard him earlier. He’s mean sometimes.”

“Dad only yells when you break the rules,” said One confidently. “That’s why he yells at you and Four the most, because you’re always breaking the rules.”

Five stomped his foot in anger and turned to leave. He skipped raiding the kitchen as he had previously planned and headed straight for the front door.

“Wait!” One called. “You can’t just leave!” Five began to run as the other two got up to follow him, but he wasn’t fast enough.

“I heard a rumor you stopped!” yelled Three.

Five froze, one foot in the air, and immediately fell to the ground. Faced with this injustice, he probably would’ve gone back to bed and left his escape to another time. But, apparently the yelling had alerted Reginald.

“Are all of you children stupid?!” he yelled from the top of the stairs. “What part of ‘go to bed’ do you not understand? Is this a difficult concept?”

“Number Five is trying to run away!” said One, pointing an accusing finger at the boy in question.

“Nuh-uh,” said Five.

“Yes, he was,” Three supported One. “He said so.”

Reginald turned an angry glare on Five. “Is this because I raised my voice at you, Number Five? Are you that easily influenced? You would never make it in the real world. Get up and follow me!”

“W-Where are we going?” asked Five, doing as he was told with wide fearful eyes. Reginald didn’t answer him.

That night, Five was made to teleport over and over again, continuously, until he collapsed from exhaustion. Reginald then left him lying in the foyer for Grace to collect three hours later.

3

The third attempt could barely be called that. Five and his newly named siblings were at the zoo with the latest in a long string of governesses. That one was called Simone and she was a very good governess. Upon being given permission, she had taken her seven students out for the day, to learn about animals. She had even given them a worksheet to fill out.

Of course, them being nine, those worksheets were immediately destroyed by three out of seven children.

Klaus turned his into spitballs that he sent flying at Diego, who, of course, needed to retaliate. Five just crumpled his into a ball and threw it out the car window, incensed at being forced to fill out animal worksheets like a kindergartener.

He was excited to see the monkeys, though. Not that he’d ever say it out loud.

Simone sat in the front seat next to the chauffeur, trying in vain to interest them in a sing-a-long car game. Five crossed his arms and kept his eyes fixed out the window, jaw set. He wished he could have brought his math workbook along, just for something to do. It would’ve been nice to rub in everyone else’s faces how far ahead of them he was.

When they finally-- _finally_ \--pulled up in front of the zoo, Simone’s smile was strained and they were rowdier than ever.

“Give that back!” screeched Allison, wrestling a hairpin out of Klaus’ hands. Klaus just grinned and let his sister take it back.

“What if I want to pin my hair back, sis?” he asked as they all clambered out of the car. “You’ve left me with nothing!” Five rolled his eyes. Klaus had always been so dramatic.

“You should’ve brought your own, then,” Allison snapped. Klaus looked taken aback, as Allison was usually happy to go at least somewhat along with his games. He quieted.

Five noticed almost offhandedly how other boy’s eyes almost immediately began to dart around now that he wasn’t engaged in conversation. At one point, he violently flinched at nothing. Just as Five was about to attempt to distract Klaus from whatever ghosts he was seeing, Simone spoke.

“Alright, kids!” she exclaimed, some of her usual pep back now that they were at the entrance. “Stay in groups and give me your worksheets at the end.” She led them through the gate and promptly disappeared.

Five blinked in surprise. Was she really leaving them alone? Maybe she wasn’t as recovered from the car ride as he had assumed, he thought, watching her order a beer from a nearby concessions stand.

Luther and Allison exchanged glances. “Monkeys?” she asked, as if continuing a previous conversation. He nodded and they scampered off together. There went Five’s plan for the day; no way was he going anywhere those two were.

Klaus yelled, “Coming through!” He sprinted past Five and Vanya before throwing himself onto Diego’s back.

Diego shouted in surprise, only his taller height keeping him upright. “Klaus!”

“What?” Klaus beamed at Diego. “Come with me!” He dragged Diego away by the elbow, edging purposefully around an empty patch of pavement some twenty feet ahead. Five wrinkled his nose, knowing that some ghost was stand (or laying or sitting or something) in that spot.

Wow, he did not envy Klaus’ power.

Looking over, he could see Vanya and Ben already absorbed in filling out their assigned worksheet. He decided he would join them later, once they’d finished. For now, he could have some alone time. He never had enough of that.

Five peered around the corner of a building and spotted a small covered area, out of view of the crowds. Perfect! He could practice his jumping back there, without any interruptions!

“Okay,” he muttered. “Focus, push forward, and pull yourself through. Focus… push forward… and pull yourself through.” He leaned forward slowly, blue light flashing around his wrists.

Idly, he wished it was later, so Vanya and Ben would be finished the worksheet and he could go hang out with them.

He moved.

And sure, he was under the overhang, as expected. But it was dark. Five whirled around in confusion. He checked his watch, which still read 2:35. What had happened?

He crept out around the corner to an empty zoo. Even the entrance gates were locked. Five uselessly tugged on them for a moment before giving up. Unwilling to risk messing up his jump in some other strange way, he was forced to climb over the fence like some rebellious teenager.

Finding ten dollars in his blazer pocket was a stroke of luck he didn’t deserve for making his Mom and siblings worry about him, but it did allow him to take the bus home.

Five regarded himself as less emotional than his other, more childish siblings, but even he had to admit that it stung when he realized Reginald hadn’t even notice he was gone.

He decided to save his news about time travel for a better time. It was not well-received.

4

The fourth time was simple. Five was edging on thirteen, frustrated with the world and his siblings and his father. Living in that house grated on him, not even the occasional crime-fighting helping to alleviate his annoyance. He and the other six were all shoved together in that tiny hallway and there was no room to _breathe_ anymore. Even Vanya’s violin had gotten too loud and screechy recently, indicating that she was unable to focus.

Klaus had begun to exchange his cigarettes for blunts, so the smell of weed pervades the entire second floor because he also didn’t know what a window was, apparently.

Diego was snapping at everyone and throwing knives at practically anything that moved. His bedroom door had never had so many holes.

Allison and Luther had started spending an unhealthy amount of time together for teenage siblings. They both needed outside friends, clearly, not that anyone else, save maybe Klaus, had those either. Only Ben escaped Five’s ire, the quiet boy too wrapped up in his own head to annoy his siblings.

No matter the reason, Five was pissed off and done dealing with it. He packed some clothes, made himself a few sandwiches, and walked out, with plans to sleep in the library or something until he found a better place.

It would have worked, too, if not for Klaus. Five was waiting in line for a food truck nearly a week later, when Klaus came strutting down the street in too-tight pants and a feather boa. Also flying high as a kite.

Unfortunately, Diego was with him, and Klaus’ desire for a burrito turned into Five being dragged back to the house by his ear. Not literally, but the shirt was close enough (Diego was spending far too much time with Mom).

Reginald had noticed this time and was far from happy. He decided that Five’s special training should start immediately. Taking Five into the foyer, he forced the boy to continuously jump--exactly like the training he’d been subjected to as a child. Except this time, he wasn’t allowed to collapse from exhaustion. Five was made to keep going until his power sputtered out.

He gazed at the faint blue sparks coming off his hands in disbelief and fear. What if that was the end? What if his powers no longer worked?

“That is enough for today, Number Five,” said Reginald without looking up from his notes. “It is always good to know your limits! You will think on why what you did was wrong from your bedroom. Go.”

Five didn’t need to be told twice.

+1

They were thirteen. It was a typical, normal breakfast with all six of his siblings and his father. A record was playing the dull tones of a man talking about something as dull as his voice.

For days now, Five had been raring to try time traveling again. Since he had revealed his new skill to his father, nearly four years before, he hadn’t been allowed to try.

“Practice your spatial jumps and we will see,” Reginald would say in that self-righteous tone of his. “Time travel can irrevocably damage your body and mind. Is that what you want, Number Five?”

Five would mumble a resentful ‘no’ and go back to his normal training. But, lately, he was slamming his bedroom door shut to convey his anger and picking fights with his siblings. Both actions he normally saw as too childish to indulge in.

He waited until the kitchen was dead silent except for the clinking of silverware, picked up his knife and stabbed the table. The table shook, knocking over Vanya’s glass and causing Klaus to drop the joint he thought he was being sneaky about rolling.

“I _want_ to time travel!” he shouted over Reginald’s protests. “I’ve been practicing my spatial shifts, like you said! See?” He shifted to the other side of the table as proof.

Reginald blustered out some analogy about ice and acorns, but Five was no longer listening. While Reginald was talking, Five made the mistake of looking up at his siblings. Most were looking at him in shock, including Ben, but Vanya hurriedly shook her head at him. Five ignored her and ran out of the house as soon as he could.

Behind him, he could hear his family shouting for him, but he pressed on, slamming the front door behind him and sprinting down the street.

Five summoned all his energy and shoved himself forward, through a blue light, focusing on the future. He came through exactly five years later. Grinning, he pushed through again.

Too hard, his ass. Reginald was just trying to control him, like he controlled everyone else. All Five’s siblings were under their father’s thumb, as much as they denied it. Even Klaus, the self-proclaimed rebel of the household, cared far too much about Reginald’s opinion.

Five powered through one more time and immediately realized his mistake. The street was in ruins, buildings were on fire.

His feet skidded to a stop and he looked around in horror, eyes wide, mouth gaping open. He could feel that it was seventeen years in the future. He should be thirty, along with his… His siblings!

Five turned around and frantically ran back the way he came. They had to be alright, they just had to!

They were not alright. Or, at least, the house wasn’t. It laid in ruins just like the rest of the street. Five could see familiar shapes here and there--a couch on fire, broken walls following the general layout of the building.

“No, no, no, no,” he mumbled, eyes filling with tears. What was happening? Where was his family? He had to warn them, he had to get back!

Five pushed himself, focusing on his home, on 2002. The blue glow started building, then sputtered out. Five stared down at his hands in disbelief. He remembered learning his limit nearly two (seventeen) years ago. He wasn’t even close to it! Maybe it was harder to go back in time instead of forward?

He pushed again, concentrating harder. But it was no use. He was stuck. Five shouted in frustration, tears dripping down his face. He angrily wiped them away with the back of his hand. His knees hit the ground hard as he collapsed, unable to stop himself from sobbing.

It would be forty-five long years before he saw any of his siblings again. By then, he would be a broken old man in the body of a thirteen year old, who will stop at nothing to prevent the end of the world.


End file.
